Real Salt Lake 2-1 LA Galaxy: Match Report, Goals, Stats and Ratings
MLS · Sunday 8 November 2026 · America First Field, Sandy · referee J. Dickerson · full time
Full time: Real Salt Lake 2-1 LA Galaxy
Real Salt Lake beat LA Galaxy 2-1 in MLS on Sunday 8 November 2026 at America First Field. The goals: Sergi Solans 10', Zach Booth 13'. Moneyball's pre-match estimate had this exact score as the most likely.
How Real Salt Lake won it
The opening goal came in the 10th minute: Sergi Solans for Real Salt Lake, set up by Noel Caliskan. Zach Booth made it 2-0 to Real Salt Lake in the 13th minute. An own goal by Luc De Fougerolles made it 2-1 to LA Galaxy in the 40th minute.
It was 2-1 at half-time, and nothing changed after the break.
The referee, J. Dickerson, showed 5 yellow cards: 4 to Real Salt Lake and 1 to LA Galaxy.
Real Salt Lake: P. Mastroeni, 3-4-3 · LA Galaxy: G. Vanney, 4-2-3-1.
Moneyball's prediction against the result
The pre-match estimate had 2-1 as the single most likely score (9%). That is the score it ended.
On goals the estimate was close: about 3.2 expected, 3 scored.
Over 2.5 goals had been put at 62%; with 3 goals the over came in, as the estimate leaned.
Both teams to score was 63%; both did, in line with the estimate.
Computed before kick-off from both sides' season goals and expected goals as of 2026-11-07, through a Dixon-Coles score model, and left as it was.
Why it went this way
On the day the expected goals were 0.69 for Real Salt Lake and 2.56 for LA Galaxy.
Real Salt Lake scored about 1.3 more than their chances were worth: clinical finishing, or a goalkeeper having a bad day.
LA Galaxy left about 1.6 goals' worth of chances on the pitch.
LA Galaxy created the better chances, 2.56 xG to 0.69, and still lost. On chances alone, the result could easily have gone the other way.
The run of play itself went against the pre-match reading: Moneyball expected Real Salt Lake to create more, and LA Galaxy did.
Real Salt Lake had 9 shots on target, LA Galaxy 0.
LA Galaxy's goalkeeper made 6 saves.
LA Galaxy had 59% of the ball, but Real Salt Lake took the points.
Where the two sides stood before this match
Real Salt Lake came into it with 34 MLS matches played, scoring 1.6 and conceding 1.5 a match, with 1.50 expected goals for and 1.49 against, and had won 38% of their matches.
LA Galaxy came into it with 34 MLS matches played, scoring 1.5 and conceding 1.7 a match, with 1.51 expected goals for and 2.06 against, and had won 32% of their matches.
Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy: the match in numbers
| Real Salt Lake | Match statistics | LA Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
| 41% | Ball possession | 59% |
| 0.69 | Expected goals (xG) | 2.56 |
| 20 | Total shots | 13 |
| 9 | Shots on target | 0 |
| 5 | Big chances | 1 |
| 374 | Total passes | 524 |
| 81% | Pass accuracy | 86% |
| 6 | Corners | 9 |
| 12 | Fouls | 10 |
| 1 | Offsides | 1 |
| 12 | Tackles | 14 |
| 0 | Saves | 6 |
| 4 | Yellow cards | 1 |
Team statistics from Sportmonks.
Player ratings and man of the match
Man of the match: Noel Caliskan (Real Salt Lake), rated 8.1 by Sportmonks, with 1 assist.
Real Salt Lake
- Noel Caliskan 8.1 1 assist
- Sergi Solans 7.6 1 goal
- Juan Manuel Sanabria 7.2
- Morgan Guilavogui 7.2
- Zach Booth 7.2 1 goal
LA Galaxy
- John Nelson 7.5
- JT Marcinkowski 7.4
- Marco Reus 6.8
- Erik Thommy 6.8
- Sergi Roberto 6.8
The lowest-rated starter was Joseph Paintsil at 6.2. Ratings run from 0 to 10; around 7.0 is a solid match.
What comes next
- Real Salt Lake: Seattle Sounders vs Real Salt Lake Friday 20 November 2026 · MLS
Each preview has Moneyball's estimate for the next match, published before kick-off and marked against the result afterwards, as this one is.
Questions about Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy
What was the score in Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy?
Real Salt Lake 2-1 LA Galaxy (half-time 2-1), MLS, Sunday 8 November 2026.
Who scored in Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy?
Sergi Solans 10', Zach Booth 13'.
Did Moneyball predict Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy correctly?
The pre-match estimate had 2-1 as the single most likely score (9%). That is the score it ended.
Who was man of the match in Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy?
Noel Caliskan, rated 8.1 by Sportmonks.
Who refereed Real Salt Lake vs LA Galaxy?
J. Dickerson.
Every match, before and after
Moneyball writes a preview with its estimate before every match of Europe's top five leagues and the European cups, then marks it against the result, hits and misses alike.
Moneyball is a football statistics site. No model predicts football reliably: every figure is an estimate.